Why Honda is spending on shrinking segment

Honda, an automaker known for its conservative approach to expanding production globally, revealed in September that it was adding 300 new jobs in Ohio and pumping $267 million into production of the 2018 Accord midsize sedan.

That’s a bold move considering the headwinds the 10th-generation Accord — and all midsize sedans of its ilk — are facing.

For the first nine months of 2017, the segment has contracted 15 percent vs. the same period a year earlier, to 1.4 million vehicles. Every model in the category has seen a sales decline in 2017, most by double digits. In 2016, segment sales dropped 12 percent overall.